Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-10-29
The Kicking Kicking.
A BoMBsHELL IN THE CANA cTRcU-
LAR FROM THE "ANTIs.'

A BoNBSHELL IN THE CANA CrRcU-
LAR FROM THE "ANTIs.'
CHICAGO, October 23.--The dissen-
tiers from the action taken at he
Minneapolis convention, have decid-
ed open war with the Executive
Board Of the knights of Labor, and
have issued their declaration ofinde-
pendence. On returning from the
Convention, about thirty-tive dele
gates, representing thirteen states,
stopped in Chicago and determined
To bring about reorganization of
the order. They elected a provis-
ional committee of five members of
which Charles +. Seib was made Sc
cretary. A long communication
was drafted at Secretary Seib's
office to-day and will be forwarded
tomorrow in circular form to the
Knights of Labor all over the coun-
try. The following is the commune
cation:
HEApo'Rs PROVISIONAL COMMITTEE,
CHICAGO, OCTOBER %, 1887.
CHAs. f. SnB, Sec'y. 1860 East
Washington street, Chicago.
CIRCULAR NO. l..
To the Rank and File Of the order OF
the knights Of Labor
Indignant at the usurpation of
power, the gross violation of the laws
of our Order, by those high in au-
thority, Disguised with those whose
loyalty to the present ring has been
gained by the pickings they receive
as reward for their services to the
tawning sycophants who crawl on
their knees in slavish submission to
the most corrupt, the most hypocrit,
ical, the most autocratic and tyran-
nical clique that has ever controlled
any labor organization. We there for
affirm the motto Of our order that
"When bad men combine, the good
must associate, else they will fall,
one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a
contemplate struggle" We assert
the hour has come when rs honest
men and women we declare our
selves independent of those who
have abused the confidence reposed
in them by our order.
The circular then recounts the
charges against the administration
as follows:
/. The general office has become
luxurious haunt for men whose chief
aim is to benefit self pecuniarIly and
otherwise.
2. There has been for more than
year beginning prior to the Rich
mond SESSION. an understanding
which, for lack of better word, we
will call conspiracy, for the pur-
pose of holding the salaried positions,
elective and appointive, in and un
der the General Assembly.
3. This conspiracy has used the
secret channels and the funds of the
order to manufacture sentiments tor
certain members and against others.
4. Organizers commissions lave
been refused to members who were
known to disagree with the methods
of the ring.
5. District and local assemblies
have been suspended or expelled and
deprived of voice in the General
Assembly because they were known
as opponents to the policy OF the
conspirators.
6. Conspiracies have been Matched
against dissenting members by the
aid of corrupt tools in the district as
semblies or local assemblies, or both
of such members.
7. The records of the general office
have been fixed and doctored so as
to rule out or admit, as the case
might be, general assembly repre-
sentatives.
8 Men have been admitted as del
egates to the General Assembly who
clearly had no constitutional right
to seats, while others have been re
fused upon technicalities contrary to
precedent and established custom.
In all cases the test was for or
against the ring
Many thousands Of dollars OF the
orders funds have been illegally ex-
pended-frequent'y against the carr
est protests OF honest and law-abid-
ing members.